Socio-politični pomen družbeno angažirane glasbe v postjugoslovanskem prostoru

This thesis examines the socio-political significance of socially engaged music in contemporary Croatia, situating it within the wider post-Yugoslav context. It explores how such music articulates political critique and social reflection in post-conflict and post-socialist societies marked by the transition from socialism to capitalism. The study covers the period from 1995 to the present, a time defined by profound political, economic, and cultural transformation. The research draws on social movement theory, identity construction, and socio-political transformation frameworks, adopting a constructivist epistemological approach to analyse how these concepts intersect within socially engaged music. The thesis conceptualizes socially engaged music as a genre shaped by post-war disillusionment with political elites and expanding over time to address a wide range of socio-political and cultural issues. Methodologically, the study combines qualitative content analysis of 80 songs by 11 musicians with 29 semi-structured interviews, seven with musicians, 21 with audience members, and one with a record label representative. The analysis identifies three dominant thematic areas: critique of institutional corruption